Bon Marche staff say au revoir

EMOTIONAL staff from the now-closed Bon Marche stores in Hucknall and Bulwell have issued a thankyou to shoppers in the towns for their support.

The signs have been ripped down and fixtures and fittings stripped from the empty premises on High Street in Hucknall and Main Street in Bulwell.

The stores have been axed as part of a buyout after Bon Marche’s parent company, the Peacock Group, went into administration.

This is despite hopes that one or both of the Dispatch district shops could be saved.

Staff at Hucknall even submitted a business plan with support from the town’s Conservative MP, Mark Spencer, and Coun Mick Murphy (Con), a Hucknall member of Notts County Council. A petition was also signed by hundreds of supporters.

But the campaign failed and now, Sue Astill, former manager at the Hucknall shop, has said: “We were part of the community and we are all sad to leave it behind. We want to thank everyone for their support.”

This was echoed by Sharon Bowley, former deputy manager of the Bulwell branch, who said some regulars were in tears when they found out the shop was closing.